58 INDIAN FOREST MEMOIRS. 



mternode will be mature, at the end of the second month the second leafy internode will 

 be mature and so on, the terminal length carrying the panicle being four months old when 

 the long internode immediately below it has become mature, at which time the grain is 

 usually ripe. Whether this explanation, which depends on the assumption that each in 

 ternode carrying a well-developed leaf at its apex requires the same period for its develon 

 ment, really explains the process and rate of development of the culm in Sacckarum spL 

 taneum or any other species, can of course be only satisfactorily proved by observing the 

 exact time at winch each individual internode commences and terminates its growth 

 respectively throughout the life of the culm. I„ the case of each species also such oblrv 

 afions would have to be made on a considerable number of culms in order to obtain ^ 

 average result. Up to date no opportunity has been available for making sue Waited 

 observations satisfactorily, but pending more precise investigation it was considered^ 

 or the purposes of practical work, the following principle might be accepted unlesslt ™J 

 found to be obviously at variance with the facts actually observed in the field tkenuZTr 



produced by a culm dunng its life-cycle is approximately equal to the numbe, ofmZtls 



For the species dealt with in this paper, therefore, the average number of interncdes in 

 LfolTor"- Carrym& ° r WhiCh haVe Carried ' wdI - d ^d " has been c"cutted 



(«) The total number of internodes visible on the mature culm is first counted 

 (6) By an examination of the young culms, the number of short basal internodes 

 carrying small scale-like leaves with little or no lamina is determined 



{C) T tevSpe d ta™:. *** "^ ° f **"*■ °»™ — « *- we,l- 



actually observed in the field in the locality f!ZZXeZ~ H ^ ^T' aS 

 cases where this could be done satisfactorily the agreement tZZZ ^ *? m *" 

 remarkable, while in no species was the ^ T^X ^Zto^ZZuluT 

 found to be ,n obvious disagreement with the facts observed in the field V °f 1 , OTlatlon 

 that, in every case, culms which appeared to be of normal dtZ mUSt to DOted 



observation, , e . culms obtained Jniplants which had " £&££?* ■** 

 or grass-cutting and which had not developed in a loralitv w u ^ age(1 by ™ e > grazing, 



[ 68 i] 



